Method of removing and replacing storage-battery connectors.



H. SLBOWLER; IVIETHODOF REMOVING AND REPLACING STORAGE BATTERY CONNECTORS.

Vvn x x ATTORNEY Patented Dec 4,-191?.

W m N,

MAY 3,1917.

APPLICATION FILED HEZEKIAH S. BOWLEB, 0F GLOV ERSVILLE, NEW YQJRK.

METHOD OF REMOVING AND REPLACING STORAGE EATTEBY CQNNECTURS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, Hnznnrnn S. Bowman, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Removing and Replacing Storage-Battery Connectors, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention has reference to a method the connector by the process commonly f replacing the connector and rejoining it to all) known as burning. The process of lead burning is one requiring particular skill, and unless properly performed the junction is so poor that only imperfect electrical contact is obtained, with the result that the joint presents high electrical resistance, thereby materially cutting down the efficiency of the storage battery.

It becomes necessary from time to time to repair storage batteries, and in order to do this the connectors must be removed from the bore out the burned in lead by means of a bit of suitable size until that portion. of the post is reached which is not integrally joined with the connector, after which the connector is readily removed from'the post. 11

the post, it is needful to burn in a relatively large mass of lead, and the liability of imperfect junction is even greater than is the case when the connector is first joined to the post, since in boring out the filled in lead the boring must extend deeper than the original cavity in the head of the connector and a greater amount of lead is necessary than at first. Unless great care is taken, im-

perfect joints frequently occur and a re-' paired battery is oftenof less eiiiciency than a new battery from this one cause, since the resistance of the battery is increased at the connectors and. the efliciency of the'battery is correspondingly reduced Specification of team Patent.

posts. The ordinary procedure, is to Patented Dee. a, Wt t.

Application filed May 3, 1917. Serial No. 166,201.

Such troubles are entirely avoided and the reunion of the connector with the post may be accomplished even by unskilled labor, since there is no necessity of that die gree oi skill demanded in burning the lead connectors on to the posts in the usual way.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may he changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the Fig. l is a view similar to the other viewsbnt showing the connector reunited to the post.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a storage battery electrode 1 with a terminal post 2, which latter, as is customary, has its free end 3 tapered. Applied to the post 2 is a connector 4 having a head 5 with a passage 6 therethrough having a tapered portion 7 fitting the tapered end 3 of the 2 post, so as to provide a snug union, and above the the post the passage 6 has a portion 8 tapering toward the post, thereby forming a widening pocket in a direction away from the post. When the connector is applied to the post and seated snugly there on, a mass 9 of lead is melted into the pocket formed by the taper portion 8 of the passage 6, and by the process known as burning the lead is caused to intimately unite with the exposed end of the post and with the side walls of the part 8 of the opening 6, so that the union is to all intents and purposes an integral union and ample electric contact is established, whereby the ohmic resistance of the joint between the connector and post is practicality m2.

Should it become necessaryto repair the battery, as frequently occurs, it is needful to remove the connector in order to have vproper access to the electrode to make such repairs as should be made. Ordinarily, the filled in lead 9 is bored out to an extent about that of the diameter of the post 2, where it meets the smaller intermediate portion of the passage 6, so that the connector 'may be 'removed, since below such point the connector is only united to'the post by con- .tact and not by fusion. On replacing the but the reunion of the connector with the post is made so simple as to be capable ofperformance by. unskilled labor with a consequent reduction in cost.

' The firststep of the process is indicated in Fig. 2, where a hollow punch 10 is applied to the filler- 9 and by striking such punch a suitable blow it is caused to sink a short distance into the filler 9 forming a groove 11 of a. diameter corresponding to the width of the passage 6 where the two tapered portions T and 8 join. The groove 11 is utilized as a guide for a hollow reamer 12 by means of which an annular groove 13is cut through the filler 9, and for a distance into the peripheral portion of the taper end 3 of the post to reach to that art of the post and connector where they are frictionally joined,

but deeper than the fusion joint. This permits the ready removal of the connector the same as when the filler or plug 9 is bored out by a drill to a corresponding depth, Whenthe connector is removed there remains a portion 9 of the filler 9 as an integral part of the post 2'- and rising above the taper end 3 of the post to the original height of the plug 9- There may also remain a portion 9 of .the filler 9 adherent to the inner wall of the head 5 of the connector where initially fused thereto. When the connector is replaced aften repairs have been made, it seats as originaliy' upon the post 2, and the annular groove or kerf formed by the hollow .reamer 12 may be then filled by fusing lead, indicated at 14,

therein, after the manner of the burning process, such small amount of lead-;being readily fused into intimate union with the walls of the groove 13 and the stem and connector are as perfectly united as they were neaaaes reduced by repeated removals of the connector and a post'will outlast many removals of the connector for repairs or other purposes.

The invention is therefore conducive to economy of repairs, since highly skilled labor is not needed and the connecting post of the electrode has extremely long life, permitting repeated repairs to be made to the battery without material injury to the post, the height of the post remaining constant irrespective of the number of times the connector is removed and replaced.

What is claimed is 1. The method of removing connectors from the terminal posts of storage battery electrodes, which consists in cutting an annular groove through the metal uniting the connector and post, with the groove entering through the top of the connector and extended to a depth to be below the fused union between the connector and post.

2. The method of removing and replacing connectors from the terminal posts of storage battery electrodes, which consists in cutting an annular groove through the metal uniting the connector and post, with the groove entering through the top of the connector and extended to a depth to be below the fused union between the connector and post, and on replacing the connector after its removal from the post filling the groove with lead and causing its integral union with the walls of the groove by burning.

3. The method of disconnecting integrally united connectors with the terminal posts of storage battery electrodes, which consists in forming an annular preliminary guiding groove in the exposed face of the lead uniting the connector to the post, and then deepening the groove to a point where the connector and post are frictionally engaged, thereby leaving a portion of the uniting metal on top of the post to the initial height and a portion of the uniting metal still mtegrally adherent to the connector.

1. Themethod of disconnecting and replacing integrally united connectors with the terminal posts of storage battery electrodes, which consistsin forming an annular preliminary guiding groove in the exposed faceof the lead uniting the connector the and then deepening the groove to a ofth'e uniting metal on top of the post to the 5 initial height and a portion of the uniting metal still integrally adherent to the conmotor, and after the removal and replacing of the connector reuniting the connector to the 0st by filling in the groove with the lead .to by urning to ea'nsethe leadlso filled in to integrally unite with those ortions of the lead filling still carried by t e post and hy the connector.

In testimony, that claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aflixed my slgna- 15 ture in the pi'esenee of two witnesses.

HlEZlEKl S. BOILER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Sxeenes, 1B1. 'l. CHAPMAN. 

